ABC boss Hugh Marks confirms 50 roles impacted by restructure
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The ABC will cut about 50 roles as part of a restructure that will bring an end to the late night current affairs show Q+A and introduce ABC Screen in place of its content division.
The context: An internal staff email by ABC managing director Hugh Marks, seen by Capital Brief, outlines major changes across the broadcaster’s content, news, audio and audiences divisions.
Marks’ email says that the proposed changes will “simplify, strengthen and sharpen the focus of each of these teams on their core priorities and ensure we continue to innovate and renew our offering to audiences,” and “will create savings to be reinvested directly into more content and services for audiences.”
He added that the ABC is working to pull back from “areas that no longer align with our priorities.”
In addition to around 40 redundancies and the early termination of 10 contracts, Marks confirmed that the ABC will discontinue Q+A, which is currently on hiatus.
“Q+A was a groundbreaking program that has made a significant contribution to Australian society. Much has changed since it launched in 2008 and it’s time to rethink how we evolve to continue to engage audiences in national conversations,” Marks said.
“Upcoming initiatives in News include investing in producing additional high-impact premium news documentary programs and embedding Your Say as a permanent initiative.”
Capital Brief revealed that Q+A was on the chopping board on Tuesday. The AFR first reported that 50 jobs would be impacted by Wednesday's changes.
The email also says that the ABC’s content division will be renamed ABC Screen and will include a “newly created Digital Content department which will streamline digital and social content to align directly with our screen genres and commissioning process. We’ll reinvest in premium Australian screen content that will strengthen our primary digital platforms, ABC iview and ABC listen.”
Marks added that the objective of the restructuring “is to enhance our TV slate in volume and ambition, increase our capacity to commission more high value journalism, enable more original podcasting and put targeted resources into our metropolitan audio teams.”
Marks told staff that the proposals are subject to consultation. Sources confirmed to the AFR that the ABC board is due to meet next week for strategy and planning meeting.
The sources: Internal ABC staff email, AFR, Capital Brief, Capital Brief
